One-on-one meeting agenda template
A 30-minute one-on-one agenda in six parts, with the team member's topics first and a table for actions, to fill in, copy or print.
TemplateWhat you type stays in your browser.
One-on-one meeting agenda template
Template from https://www.teampredict.ai/templates/one-on-one-meeting-agenda
Last updated
A one-on-one agenda keeps the meeting about the person.
A one-on-one is a recurring private conversation between a manager and a direct report about the work, the obstacles and the person's growth. Without an agenda it drifts into a status update, which is the one thing it should not be, because status can travel in writing.
This agenda fits 30 minutes. It gives the first and longest slot to the team member's own topics, keeps a fixed slot for feedback in both directions and one for growth, and ends with actions that carry over to the next meeting.
Here is how to use the one-on-one meeting agenda template in five steps.
How to use it
- 1Share the agenda the day before
- 2Start with their topics
- 3Ask about blockers, not status
- 4Give and ask for feedback
- 5Close with actions
Share the agenda the day before. Keep one running document per person and ask them to add their topics ahead of the meeting.
Start with their topics. Give the first ten minutes to what they brought. If time runs short, your items are the ones that move.
Ask about blockers, not status. Skip the project rundown. Ask what is stuck and what they need from you.
Give and ask for feedback. Offer one thing that went well and one to change, then ask for the same about you.
Close with actions. Write down who does what by when, and open the next meeting by reading the list.
Here is a worked example with invented names.
Take an invented company, Marlowick Studio, a design studio of 25 people. Greta Olsen manages Caleb Mwangi, a designer, and they meet every week for 30 minutes.
Caleb adds two topics the day before: the client review rounds keep growing, and he would like to lead the next pitch. In the blockers slot he says he has waited eight days for copy from the client. His feedback for Greta is that briefs arrive too late on Fridays.
Worked example
Marlowick Studio, an invented company: one weekly one-on-one
- Team memberCaleb Mwangi, designer
- ManagerGreta Olsen
- His topicsClient review rounds keep growing, and he would like to lead the next pitch
- What is stuckEight days waiting for copy from the client
- Feedback for the managerBriefs arrive too late on Fridays
Agreed actions
Greta chases the copy by Wednesday, Caleb leads the next pitch, briefs go out by Thursday noon
They close with three actions. Greta will chase the copy by Wednesday, Caleb will lead the next pitch, and briefs will go out by Thursday noon. The next meeting opens with that list.
These mistakes spoil a one-on-one.
- Cancelling when the week gets busy. A cancelled one-on-one is the channel where you would have heard about the problem.
- Using the time for project status, which could have been a message.
- Doing most of the talking. The manager should speak for less than half the meeting.
- Skipping the growth slot every week because nothing is urgent.
- Ending without written actions, so the same topics come back unchanged.
People ask these questions about one-on-one meetings.
These glossary terms explain the ideas behind it.
A one-on-one is a recurring private conversation between a manager and a direct report about the work, the obstacles and the person's growth.
A skip-level meeting is a conversation between an employee and their manager's manager, without the direct manager present.
Employee engagement is how committed and involved people are in their work and their company, beyond simply doing the tasks assigned to them.
Span of control is the number of direct reports a manager has.
A stay interview is a structured conversation with a current employee about what keeps them here and what would make them consider leaving.
These pages on this site go deeper.
These templates pair well with this one.
Skip-level meeting agenda template
Five timed parts, an opening script and nine questions for a 30-minute skip-level.
Ten questions in four themes, and the actions you agree before the meeting ends.
Nine questions in five parts, from what gave energy to the next two or three steps.
Find out who is showing exit signals.
Score one person against ten factors in five areas, in a few minutes, and see which signals are contributing most.
Run a flight risk assessmentFree, no signup required.
Back to the HR templates, where all 22 are listed.